Is it possible to achieve learning success in low-income contexts? The case of Sobral.

One of the learning success stories in the GEEAP Smart Buys report is about Sobral — once one of Brazil’s poorest municipalities.

Despite having the 5th lowest GDP per capita among the 26 Brazilian states, the state of Cear? has experienced the largest increase in the national education quality index in both primary and lower secondary education between 2005 and 2017. Ten of its municipalities are now among the nation’s top 20. One of those municipalities is Sobral, with the highest score in the country.

Source: The World Bank

The mayor of Sobral set an ambitious goal, set in motion impactful initiatives, and in just four years, the share of Grade 2 children reading at grade level jumped from 49% to 92% and transformed Sobral into a global benchmark for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN).

This article and a short video explain how they were able to achieve it.